From today's opinion in Roe v. Smith, decided by Justice Anne Richardson, joined by Justices Elwood Lui and Victoria Chavez:
In 2022, plaintiffs [Jane Roe and John Doe] and [defendant] Jenna [Smith] were all students at the same high school in Los Angeles County…. At the time, plaintiffs were in a dating relationship, which continued at least through the date of the complaint….
In March 2023, Jenna began telling other students at the high school that John had sexually assaulted her and Jane. In April 2023, [defendant] Mother [Smith] told parents of other members of the club that John had sexually harassed Jenna….
The school launched an investigation, with which John voluntarily cooperated. While the investigation was ongoing, Jenna continued to tell other students John had engaged in sexual misconduct towards her and Jane. The "school rumor mill [ran] wild" with this information and plaintiffs received "dozens" of harassing and violent comments on their social media accounts. Plaintiffs allege Jenna was behind these comments….
The school's investigation into Jenna's complaint finally concluded in August 2023, finding John was "not responsible for any of the claims [Jenna] launched against him."
Plaintiffs sued for defamation and related torts, and "sought damages in excess of $5 million" and "an injunction ordering defendants to remove all defamatory posts from social media and to issue apologies to plaintiffs, and prohibiting defendants from publishing any future statements about plaintiffs whether written or verbal."
The court reversed the trial court's decision allowing pseudonymity to the Does (no-one objected to the pseudonymity of the Smiths):
